Game apparatus



N 25, 1924. 1,516,887 E. H. MCPHERSON GAME APPARATUS Filed Dec. 19, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l E."H- M PHERSON G ME APPARATUS.

Filed Dec. 19, 1922 ,2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E/YMW/Person Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

1,516,887 P QFFEQIE'.

EDWARD H." MePHER'SON, OF J'EFFERSQNV11411111; INDIANA.

GAM'E APPARATUS-L Application: flledi-Dboeimber 19, 1822;

To" all 'who'mr it: may camera Be it known. that" I; EDWARD H; MoPI-mn' son, a citizen o'ithei United Statesaresiding: at: ilefi ersonviller in; the: county of Clark. and State of Indiana, have:inventedeeertain new and: useful: Improvements: in Game.

Apparatus,- of which the following" is. a specification.

This invention relates to game apparatus;

and has as its general. object to) provide an apparatuswh1ch1 may be employed 1n.

playing a game substantially in. accordance with: the rules and: regulations governing the playing, of the game ofi baseball A'nother object of? the invention 1sto prov vide game apparatus so constructed thattheplayers using the-v same will be influenced to exercise a. degree oi" skill in makingtheir' playsthus enhancing the attractiveness oft-he apparatus;

Another obje'cti' oi the invention. is" to provide a game apparatus for. thepurpose stated which may be employed with the greatest convenience and without occasion for repeatedly rearranging; the

thereof in the course of" play.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a: front elevation of the apparatus" embodying the invention Figure 2 is a vertical front to rear sectional view'onthe line 2' 2 of Figure 1.;v

Figure=3is a detail view 1n=rear elevat1on of a portion of the apparatus;

Figure-it is a similar view: but illustrating the" indicator disc in a reversed? posit-ion;

Figure 5' is a detailivertical sectional viewon' the lineof Figure sh;

Figure G'is View looking atthe upper side of the suspension means for: tlie indicator discs;

Figure 7 means.

The apparatus embodying the invention includes aboard-which is indicated: in: gen.-

eral by the numeral 1 andw-liich may be of any desired (lIHIGHSIOIIS' and: is: preferably:

supported by legs 21 and by'ian easel frame,-

indicated in general: by the numerall 3, and comprising spaced side members: or" standards 4s hingedly connected at theirr upper endsas=at 5 to the rear-side ofl'the boandvli rods 6 and 7; and the rodi 6 serves an additional purpose which: Willi presently be parts is a: side elevation of? the said semi no. 607,875:

1 will besupported in a-slightly rearwardlyi inclined position.

At: on close to its top the board 1 has painted orsothervvise displayed upon its face. a ruled'area- 8-for thekeeping'ot'the score,- and: belowthis portion and near its bottom bears the representation of a. baseball diamond, as indicated by the numeral 9. Tithin. the: diamond representation,- the board issformedwitha number-of openings 10;. 111,12. aard:13rpreaterably located within the tone corners-oi the diamond, and with an opening-M which-is located centrally of the diamond Above the diamond and in a row extending transversely beneath the scoreboard area 8-,- ,the board'l is provided with a. series of. openings 15, 16 and 17.

Abovethediamond and below the row of openings 15; 16 and 17, the board is providedwith openings 18, 19,120 and 21, and similar openings 22' and 23' are provided exteriorly of .the lower portion of the diamondandat opposite sides of the opening 1O.v QpeningsQA and 25 are provided within the bounds; of the diamond respectively between the openings 11 and 12 and the openings 12. and 13, and other openings 26. and 27 are also provided within the bounds of said diamond. and respectively between the openings 10 and 11 and: 1t) and 13. The openings 10, 11', 12, 13 and 14 within the diamond; represent the positions of the players inthe field; and the openings 15, 1.6 and 17. represent, respectively, left field, center field; and right field positions.

The game is played with an inflated rubber-balli (not. shown), which is preferably;

willinow be described; In the drawings the said? discs are indicated in general by the numeral 281 and each comprises a circular plate ofwood; or-meta-l ofa: diameter somewhat less-than that of the opening in j uX-ta.-

position to which it is to be suspended. The disc is provided at the upper side of its periphery with an eye 29 with which is perma-. nently and pivotally engaged a loop or. .,eye 30 formed at the lower end of a suspension element 31 which may be made from asuitable length of wire or small rod material. At its upper end the suspension element 31 is bent to form an eye 32 which is'open near its juncture with the said element, as at 33. and has its end, at its open side, turned back upon itself, as at 34, thereby adapting the eye to be readily hooked over an attaching means which is provided upon the rear side of the board 1 above the respective opening in the board. The attaching member referred to aboveis indicated in general by the numeral 35 and the same comprises an attaching plate 36 secured to the rear face of the board 1 at such distance abovethe respective opening in the board that when the suspension element 31 is engaged therewith in a manner to suspend the respective disc 28, the disc will occupy a position approxinately concentric to the said opening but rearwardly thereof and in a vertical plane as shown most clearly in Figure 5, although the board 1 is, as previously stated, supported in a slightly inclined position. Upon the attaching plate 36 there is secured a substan tially V-shaped staple 37, the side members 38 of which are inclined upwardly and rearwardly to their point of juncture. By refer ence to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings it will be observed that when the eye 32 of the suspension element 31 is engaged with the staple, it will seat at the lower end of one or the other of the side members 38 of the said staple and, of course, when it seats at the lower end of one of said sidemembers, one face of the respective disc 28 will be displayed through the opening, and when it seats at the lower end of the other side member the other face of the disc will be displayed through the opening, the two faces bearing different legends. For example, one face of each disc will bear the legend Out.

. The opposite faces of the discs which are .Base on balls.

associated with the openings 10, 11, 12, 13 and 1 1 will respectively bear legends reading as follows: .Bunt single, 3rd B single hit, 2nd B single hit, 1st B single hit, and

The discs-which are associated with the openings 15, 16 and 17 will respectively bear upon their said other faces legends as follows: L F 8 base hit,'C F home run, and, R F 2 base hit.

The openings 18, 19, 20 and 21 are unobstructed and at the upper side of these openings there are arranged legends reading respectively as follows: Double play batter out, Triple play batter out, Triple play batter out, Double play batter out. The openings 22 and 23 are likewise unobstruct ed, and are indicated at their upper sides by legends reading Foul play. The openings 24: and 25 are likewise unobstructed and each is designated by the legend Grounder out. The openings 26 and 27 are likewise unobstructed and are designated each by a legend reading Pop-up out.

As previously stated, each indicator disc is provided upon one face .with'the legend Out and upon its other face with a legend indicating a successful play, and it-will be evident that the playing ball, in being projected through any one of the openings with which these discs are associated, will strike the respective disc and probably at one side of the center thereof, in which event the disc, at the time it is swung rearwardly, will also, in all probability, rotate in onedirection or the other due to the looseness of the connection of the eye 82 with the staple 37. In thus rotating, the eye will ride upwardly along one of the side members 38 of the staple and downwardly along the other side member and if the impetus given the disc is sufficiently great, the eye may pass back and forth over these side portions of'the staple reversed each time, but finally it will cometo rest at the lower end of one or the other of said side portions, and at such time thedisc will be suspended in position to display one or the other of its faces through theopening with which it is associated, thus indicating the success of the play. In the instance of the openings which are unobstructed, or, in other words, with which the indicator discs are not associated, the plays made are indicated by the legends associated with the respective openings through which the ball is projected.

In order that the ball after being projectedthrough any one of the openings may be returned to the p-layers station, and thus conveniently recovered by him for a succeeding play, a back stop and ball delivering means is provided in rear of the board and is indicated in general by the numeral 39 and comprises a sheet 40 of cloth or other suitable material which is secured at one end edge as at4c1 to the rear side of the board preferably at the upper edge thereof and is led downwardly and over a. stretcher: 12, about the cross rod 6, and then connected at its lower edgeto across rod- 6 is located in a planesubstantially-parallel;

to the plane occupied, by the boa-rd1, butthe stretch of the cloth. betweenthe said cross rod .6 and the cross rod 13 is inclined downwardly and forwardly so that after the ball has been projected through 0119301 another of the openings in the board it will eventually fall upon the inclined last-mentioned stretch of the cloth and roll -there-.

from onto the ground or floor surface and toward the player.

The stretcher 42 is preferably formed from rod material and comprises side members 44 and a connecting member 45, the latter member engaging against the sheet 40 and the side members 44 being pivotally mounted between their ends as at 46 upon the uprights 4 of the easel frame 3. The ends of the side members 44 of the stretcher which are next adjacent the board 1 are provided with hooks 47 which are engageable in eyes 48 upon the rear side of the board, and it will be evident that after the board 1 has been set up and the easel frame has been adjusted the cloth 40 may be tensioned by swinging the stretcher 42 about its pivot 46 so as to cause its connecting portion 45 to ride rearwardly against the cloth and its hooked ends 47 to engage in the eyes 48.

It will be evident that the game apparatus embodying the invention is adapted to be collapsed when not in use so that it may be stored away or shipped in a compact form. It will also be understood that considerable skill may be developed in the use of the apparatus.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. Game apparatus comprising an upright board having an opening therein for the passage of an impelled game piece, and an indicator freely suspended in juxtaposition to the opening at the rear of the board whereby either face may be presented to the opening and bearing different play indications upon its opposite faces.

2. Game apparatus comprising an upright board having an opening therein for the passage of an impelled game piece, and an indicator freely suspended for swinging movement to and from the board and rotative movement about its vertical axis in juxtaposition to the opening at the rear side of the board whereby it may present either face to the opening and bearing different play indications upon its opposite faces.

3. Game apparatus comprising an upright board having an opening therein for the passage of an impelled game piece, a member upon the rear side of the board above the opening having upwardly inclined converging side portions, a suspension element having an eye loosely engaging said member and movable along the sameto assume a position upon either of said side portions whereby it may be reversed, and an indicator disc. supported at the lower end of the said suspension element and in juxtaposition to the opening and having different play indications upon its opposite sides.

4. Game apparatus comprising an upright board having an opening therein for the passage of an impelled game. piece, a member upon the rear side of the board above the opening having upwardly inclined converging side portions, a suspension element having an eye loosely engaging said member and movable along the same to assume a position upon either of said side portions whereby it may be reversed, and an indicator disc pivotally supported at the lower end of the said suspension element and in juxtaposition to the opening and having different play indications upon its opposite sides.

5. Game apparatus comprising an upright board having an opening therein for the passage of an impelled ball, a frame supporting the board in upright position and including a cross member, the board being provided with supporting leg portions, a cross member extending between the said leg portions, and a sheet of flexible material connected to the upper portion of the back of the board and stretched over the cross member of the frame and connected at its lower portion to the last-mentioned cross member whereby to provide a portion facing the back of the board and a lower portion inclined downwardly and forwardly therefrom.

6. Game apparatus comprising an upright board having an opening therein for the passage of an impelled ball, a frame supporting the board in upright position and including a cross member, the board being provided with supporting leg portions, a cross member extending between the said leg portions, a sheet of flexible material connected to the upper portion of the back of the board and stretched over the cross member of the frame and connected at its lower portion to the last-mentioned cross member whereby to provide a portion facing the back of the board and a lower portion inclined downwardly and forwardly therefrom, and a stretcher member mounted for swinging movement upon the said frame and movable into position to ride and bear rearwardly against the said sheet.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDVVAR-D H. MoPHER-SON. [1,. st] 

